Dear Friends,

God has started something amazing here and it is an honor to see how He is growing the church in Zugdidi! We don’t always know how the Lord will provide, but He always does in His perfect timing. We are thrilled to share with you how God is answering our prayers to grow His church!

Four years ago, it was impossible to find two people who would come for any ministry event here in Zugdidi. Today, we see a great harvest of people coming to learn the good news of the gospel of Jesus and grow in his word. In the past two years, we’ve had several youth and children’s camps, women retreats, day camps, church picnics, and Lord willing, will have our first church-wide retreat later this month. In addition, we have been able to love, serve, provide for essential needs, and build relationships for the sake of the gospel.

Two years ago we started meeting weekly with only two people joining us for our Sunday fellowships. Today, we have outgrown our home church and are experiencing the growing pain of needing to move into a new space. At the same time, the owner of the house we currently meet in has placed the home for sale, and soon we will no longer be able to meet here. The renting climate is very difficult here for us as a church, and we face the challenge of finding a place to meet in the immediate future.

Facing the challenge of needing a place to meet, and in preparation for the next step in ministry to the people of Georgia, God has opened the door for us to build a church. We praise God and thank all that have partnered with us up to this point that with finances previously raised we were able to purchase land for the church here. We also recently met with an architect and are currently working on a plan for a new church building. Our prayer and hope is that enough funds can be raised to build a church building that will include Sunday school rooms, a youth room, and indoor bathrooms, in addition to the main hall to fit at least 150 people.

Estimates from local contractors put the cost of this church building in Zugdidi at $165,000 USD. The need for a larger church building than what we currently have (our home) is a good problem because that means God is bringing people and is growing His church. And even though poverty is high and funds from tithes are very low, we do not lose heart knowing there is only one church. Just as the Lord used all of the Israelites to build a wall with Nehemiah, He wants to use all His people to build His Church, this “lighthouse” in a dark region. When we are weak God is strong, when we are poor, He is rich. We believe it is not our doing but God’s that we are prompted to build this building. We prayed that God would bring souls and He did and still continues to do so. Now we are praying God provides the financial resources so these new believers, and generations yet to come, have a place to meet and grow in Him.

We want to ask you to consider being part of what God is doing in His church in Zugdidi. Please take a few minutes to contact us about how to give, or a date during our upcoming visit to the US for us to meet face-to-face to share. If you would like to give funds toward the building of the church directly, please find links and giving instructions below. You can also reach us at the contact number and email below. Thank you for praying with us and partnering with us in this ministry to the people of Zugdidi Georgia. May God richly bless you!

David and Inna Donchenko

E-mail: togeorgiawithhope@gmail.com